Previews

Tomb Raider Legend

Tomb Raider Legend is a pretty good-looking game based on animation and character models alone. We're sure you've already noticed that Lara's been completely overhauled in the polygon department, and she actually looks fairly human, now. But beyond the basics, each version of the game will have different strengths and weaknesses.

Unsurprisingly, the PC and Xbox 360 versions will lead the pack in graphics. Normal, diffuse, parallax, and several other types of mapping will gives these versions an extra edge, with four to eight times the texture data of the other games. Much like those notorious basketball players, Lara will gleam when wet, and dry off over time. Similarly, rolling around in the dirt will give her that not-so-fresh look. Further, real-time lighting adds extra dazzle to her flashlight, and the Xbox 360 version will feature Live! awareness and achievements. The one disappointment so far is that the 360 version will only run at 30 frames per second. Its 720p widescreen looks nice, but not so much that it shouldn't be humming along at 60.

The Xbox version, by comparison, is actually the one version that does run at 60 fps. While it lacks most of those fancy effects mentioned above, it still features significantly more detailed textures than the PS2 version, and the smoother framerate is a treat. The PS2 version is the least impressive of the console SKUs, but that's to be expected, and it still looks very good. Xbox and PS2 both support widescreen, by the way.

Believe it or not, the little PSP version is looking pretty darn impressive itself. Its adventure will be pretty much identical to that of the console versions, albeit with somewhat toned down graphics. Still, it runs at a fair clip and it looks like the excellent gameplay of its big sisters is pretty much intact. In fact, it features three exclusive multiplayer modes. Two of these involve racing to collect treasures and racing to complete randomly generated obstacle courses, while the third has each player hiding a treasure in the environment and then racing to find their opponents'. Not really anything to buy the game over, but it's nice that Crystal's given the PSP version a bit of extra attention. It should also have a few other bonus features, but mum's the word at the moment.

Back in Business

After taking in two hours' worth of action, there's no doubt in our minds: Lara Croft is back. After so many shameless cash-run sequels, it's a joy to reconnect with a character who showed so much promise nearly a decade ago. If Crystal Dynamics can maintain the level of quality it showed off today, Tomb Raider Legend will reestablish Tomb Raider as one of the preeminent franchises in action gaming. Not only that, Lara's got a really cute butt. The game's due April 11th, with the Xbox 360 version trailing a month or two behind. Get your fill of the old games now, because they're going to feel even more archaic once Legend hits.